CURRENT PEDL LICENCES

Looking at the onshore interactive map of licenced areas we can drag the map down to the Frack Free Dee area (or anywhere else, for that matter!) to show the OGA licenced blocks, any of these can be clicked on to give further information such as PEDL number and license operator.

“What is a PEDL? Petroleum Exploration and Development Licenses are areas of land, which has been leased by the Oil and Gas Authority to a particular drilling company. So, if a PEDL is held by Igas, only Igas can drill for gas in that license area. A company cannot drill in an area unless they have secured the PEDL for it.

A drilling company must have the PEDL license for the area to drill in AND then get planning permission from the local authority to drill in their exact local site, in conjunction with an Environment agency permit to carry out whatever work they are planning.”

Using the ‘layers’ tab on the map, you can alter this to show the PEDL license numbers and you can also add the shale prospective areas, which are shaded blue below

However, the Department of Energy and Climate Change have provided this really handy interface to find all the info you need about any PEDL, including precise boundaries and license commitments.

Here is the round up of the current license commitments and planning applications –

The newer licenses start from 21st July 2016 and generally last for 5 years. Any ‘drill or drop’ commitments must be started within 2 years of the start of the license. The older licenses are from 2008 (PEDLs 147 – 190) and were all test drilled, so automatically get another 5 years life (called second term). PEDL 189 Chester/Upton/Mickle Trafford is unique in that it is the only area where drilling commitments were not met, due to Upton Community Protection Camp being on site. This PEDL has had a 2 year extension til July 2018.

PEDL 147 IGas/Ineos

Bretton/Blacon– Planning application approved in 2011, but in March 2016 Igas confirmed they had abandoned the 20 year planning permission for full production of CBM but retained the PEDL licence. There are no new drilling commitments.

Ellesmere Port/Wirral/Deeside/South Wirral –The Licensee shall: obtain 56km of 2D seismic data on Blocks SJ28 and SJ27; obtain 35km of 2D seismic data on Block SJ37; and drill one well to a depth of 580m.

Ellesmere Port – Planning application 09/02169/MINfor a 25 year licence was granted in 2010 for the drilling of two exploratory boreholes for CBM appraisal and production. The coal seam was originally sampled by Nexen later that year. IGas, who acquired the licence from Nexon Energy, returned to the site in 2015 and sampled the shale. It is understood that a new planning application would need to be submitted in order for Igas to return to carry out further testing on the Shale. As of late 2016 the site is still fenced off with Razor wire and 4m tall fencing.

Holt/Farndon –Exploratory drill completed in April 2014, where a protest camp was set up throughout the process. New commitments as of July 2016 the Licensee shall: obtain 20km of 2D seismic data; reprocess 10km of 2D seismic data; and drill two wells to a depth of 750m.

Previously had two planning applications both of which have expired without drilling commitments being met. New commitments as of July 2016 the Licensee shall: obtain 20km of 2D seismic data; reprocess 10km of 2D seismic data; and drill one well to a depth of 750m.

PEDL 190 IGas/Ineos

Ince/Helsby – As of July 2016 the Licensee shall: obtain 45km of 2D seismic data; and drill one well to a depth of 1050m.

Ince – Planning Application 09/02568/MIN for a 25 year licence for the drilling of two exploratory wells. It is understood that there was only permission to drill to the coal seam but in fact Igas allegedly drilled down to sample the shale layer which is a conentious issue locally.

Helsby – There are no applications currently in the Helsby area. However Igas undertook via Tesla a schedule of seismic testing in 2015.

PEDL 292 Ineos

Kelsall/Tarporley/Winsford/Middlewich – The Licensee shall: Drill a well to 4500m; drill a horizontal appraisal well and conduct hydraulic fracturing operations from it; shoot 75km of 2D seismic data and shoot 75km squared of 3D seismic data

PEDL 293 Ineos

Middlewich/Holmes Chapel/Sandbach – The licensee shall: Shoot 30km of 2D seismic data; the following is a ‘drill or drop’ provision – drill a well 2500m or 20m into the Dinantian Limestone, whichever is the shallower

PEDL 295 IGas

Nantwich/Crewe/Audlem – The licensee shall: shoot 25km of 2D seismic data; and there is a ‘drill or drop’ commitment of drilling a well to 2500m or 20m into the Dinantian Limestone whichever is the shallower

PEDL 296 Ineos

Knutsford – shoot 25km of 2D seismic data; and there is a ‘drill or drop’ commitment of drilling a well to 2500m or 20m into the Dinantian Limestone whichever is the shallower

PEDL 185 Dudleston/Shocklach/Penley – This was taken on by Composite Energy in 2008 and through a series of successions ended up being owned by IGas in 2013, who relinquished the license in 2016. The initial term work obligations: Obtain 40km of 2D seismic data; Reprocess 20km of 2D seismic data; Drill 1 well on Block SJ33 to a depth of 600m; Drill 1 well on block SJ44 to a depth of 800m .
The licence group have not been able to meet the initial term work programme due to circumstances beyond their control. No wells have been drilled in this licence to date.

PEDL 186 ( NO applications) This was taken on by Composite Energy in 2008 and through a series of successions ended up being owned by IGas in 2013, who relinquished the license in 2016. The initial term obligations for Igas: Obtain and reprocess 140km of 2D seismic data; Drill 2 wells to a depth of 1,300m.
Bersham-1, Erbistock-1, Erbistock-2 and Erbistock-3 were drilled in the licence area prior to Composite Energy obtaining the licence. The licence group have not been able to meet the initial term work programme due to circumstances beyond their control.

PEDL 187 Wrexham has ended.This was taken on by GP Energy in 2008 and ended up being owned by IGas in 2013, who relinquished the license in 2016. The initial term obligations: Obtain and reprocess 75km of 2D seismic data; Drill 2 wells to a depth of 1100m.
The licence group have not been able to meet the initial term work programme due to circumstances beyond their control. No wells have been drilled by the Operator on this licence to date.

The terms of taking on a Pedl license are set out on this government website and have been copied below – please note that the guidelines set out above for drilling one well etc are a minimum that the company has to do in order to fulfil the licence.

“Production licences

All offshore production licences have the prefix ‘P’ (eg, P001). Except in special circumstances, offshore production licences run for three successive periods or terms:

Initial term

Associated with an exploration work programme that the licensee will have agreed with the OGA during the competitive application process. The licence will expire at the end of its initial term unless the licensee has completed the work programme and surrendered a fixed amount of acreage (usually 50%).

While the initial term is associated with a work programme of exploration work that must be completed if the licence is to continue into a second term, the licensee has the right to start production during the initial term, if the licensee can move quickly enough, subject to normal regulatory controls.

Second term

The second term is associated with appraisal and development. There is no agreed work programme; instead the licence will expire at the end of its second term unless the OGA has approved a development plan.

Third term

The third term is intended for production. The OGA has the discretion to extend the term if production is continuing, but reserves the right to reconsider the provisions of the licence before doing so, especially the acreage and rentals.

Each licence carries an annual charge, called a rental. Rentals are due each year on the licence anniversary. Rentals are charged at an escalating rate on each square kilometre the licence covers at that date. They are designed to encourage licensees to decide which acreage to retain and to surrender acreage they don’t want to exploit.

While the initial term is associated with a work programme of exploration work that must be completed if the licence is to continue into a second term, the licensee has the right to start production during the initial term, if the licensee can move quickly enough, subject to normal regulatory controls.

Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence

An onshore production licence is known formally as a Petroleum Exploration and Production Licence (PEDL).”

Please inform us of any applications we may have missed!

SEISMIC TESTING.

It highlights the area in which iGas have carried out 3D seismic surveying. More sureying is planned for the area by both Igas and INEOS

If you are against this industry, like the majority of informed members of the public are, keep your eyes peeled for any activities out of the norm. Activities like workers laying cables with what looks like small microphones every few metres in the streets, fields or sometimes on your property (it has been known to happen without the owners permission and if it does, it is not legal and you should call the police immediately), land agents offering money for access to your garden/driveway, thumper trucks on nearby roads.

If you come across any of these activities please contact us at Frack Free Dee.